Fire destroys MDI home, called accidental

MOUNT DESERT, Maine — Investigators have determined the cause of a fire that destroyed a home Friday on Route 3 in the village of Otter Creek was accidental, according to a local fire official.

Mike Bender, chief of Mount Desert Fire Department, said Monday the State Fire Marshal’s Office was at the scene Friday afternoon and on Saturday to look into how the fire started. The blaze demolished a house owned by local resident Dennis Smith, Bender said.

The chief said the fire appeared to have started in the middle of the first floor of the house, in the vicinity of a hallway. The exact cause was not determined, he said.

“They couldn’t find any reason to suspect it was suspicious,” Bender said. “I would say [the house] is probably a total loss.”

The home was insured, according to Bender. Smith’s daughter was living in it with her family but since has been able to find another place to live nearby, he said. Inspectors with Smith’s insurance company also are investigating how the fire may have started, he said.

A neighbor whose water supply came through the Smith property lost it as a result of the fire and was referred to the local Red Cross for assistance, according to the chief. No significant injuries were reported.

The fire was reported just before 2 p.m. Friday. Approximately 30 firefighters from Mount Desert, Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Tremont and Trenton responded to help fight the flames, Bender said.

The fire took about two hours to get under control and about four hours to extinguish, he said. Firefighters cleared the scene, giving control of it to the Fire Marshal’s Office, after 6 p.m.